


Last Stand

by generalslux



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Chancellor Hux, Episode 9 Original Script, Fix-It of Sorts, Kylux - Freeform, Last Stand, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Suicide, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, just pure angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:48:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25143394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/generalslux/pseuds/generalslux
Summary: Based on the original script for episode 9, where the First Order rules the Galaxy under Chancellor Hux and Supreme Leader Ren.Coruscant was overrun.Hux’s view from his window was chaotic. Resistance fighters flooded the skies, the normally beautiful skyline was was blacked out.The city looked dead.His empire was falling, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 11
Kudos: 51





	Last Stand

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic when I saw the concept art of Hux’s death. I wanted Hux to have a more honorable end, and to have Kylo at his side during it. 
> 
> Enjoy.

Coruscant was overrun.

Hux’s view from his window was chaotic. Resistance fighters flooded the skies, the normally beautiful skyline was was blacked out. 

The city looked dead.

His empire was falling, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Kylo was gone, off on some self search mission. Gain a stronger connection to the force. The knight had been gone for weeks already, and there was little chance he would be back in time if Hux called in distress. Hux was alone. 

Realization set it. He was completely alone. The soldiers he has trained and depended on for years are fighting for his empire. Fighting for the survival of the First Order. They would give a good fight, he knew this. But... he didn’t know if it would be good enough. How Hux had not known about this was a mystery to him. The reputation he had created of always being prepared seemed to crumble under his feet. It made him weak, unable to fight back. 

His eyes slowly went to the stand that held his lightsaber, the one his love had given him all those years ago. Hux wasn’t completely defenseless. 

Is it worth it to go out in a blaze of glory?  
To die fighting, to die at the hands of a rebel who wants to destroy the peace he had brung to the galaxy? 

Thin, gloved fingers gently touched the glass pane, soft as though the glass would break under even the slightest pressure. It felt like it would, that it would collapse like everything else outside. The last of his perfect world destroyed.

He will have nothing. He will have absolutely nothing. His life will be ripped away from him by scum, rebels that he destroyed and sent into exile. Now they come back and raid Coruscant in an ambush, wanting to take back control. Disorder would overcome the galaxy, he knew it would. 

A deep breath in, a deep breath out.

If the rebels were merciful enough, the Chancellor would be taken and imprisoned. Beaten, bruised, berated. 

Armitage has already dealt with that type of treatment enough. 

Boots clicked against the marble floors as he walked. 

The lightsaber was taken into his hand, carefully holding it up at eye level. The hilt was beautiful, it was hand made for him. It fit perfectly in his hand, lean fingers fit like a puzzle piece into the subtle craters in the metal. 

Hux hadn’t used his lightsaber in many fights, the Chancellor was always protected and taken away from battles before it had found him. Kylo had always been his protector, always at the ready to take fights. Scars that should have been on Hux’s body riddled Kylo’s. The pale skin of the red head was pure and unbroken. Kylo has a scar on nearly every inch of his body, faded and newly acquired ones. 

The knight knew that Hux was capable to defend himself, Hux knew it too, but the need to protect overwhelmed him at any instance of danger.

It was admirable, to say the least.

Unfortunately, Kylo was not here to protect Hux. Unable to save him from himself. 

The lightsaber was lowered until it was hovering over his stomach. His usually steady hands shook slightly. No matter how hardened a man is, the idea of death is still a horrifying one. But that fear would not control Armitage, not anymore. 

Hux has lost control of his city, of his galaxy. He has lost control over everything. Except death. No one would decide when or how he dies. Only he held that right. This was his decision to make.

A gloved thumb ran over the button, the button that would seal his fate. The thoughts of living ran through his head, but they were quickly silenced. This is what he wanted. He’d rather face death and judgement than be captured by rebel scum and forced to watch his beautiful creation be torn apart.

Maybe he was a coward, just like he had been told all those years.

The lightsaber sprang to life. Its blade cut through his body easily, as if he wasn’t really there.

The pain was real, though. Nerves flared to life, shrieking in pain. He wanted to remove the blade, to throw it across the room. Get it as far away from his wounded body as possible.

It stayed. It was doing more damage every second it stayed. His hands trembled and with every shake it opened his wound more and more. 

Hux’s knees buckled under him. More pain went through his body once he met the marble. Luckily, the floor was cleaned. He wouldn’t have stains on the white of his uniform. Surely, he would have bruises on his white skin. So much for untainted.

Tears ran down his face, leaving streaks on his cheeks. He hadn’t realized tears had even formed in his eyes. His mind was so focused on the pain in his stomach that it didn’t register the stinging, hot tears that flooded his green eyes.

The weapon was deactivated and dropped to the floor, it was loud in the quiet room. Armitage moved his arms to cover his wound, clutching his stomach. It hurt more now that sobs rocked his body, both his chest and shoulders shook with every sob.

Hux hated crying.

Exhaustion overcame Hux in a sudden wave of need, it took over his thinking and his body yearned to rest. At a slow pace, the Chancellor lowered himself to the floor, his cheek resting gently on the tile. The cold was welcomed, it sent a much needed shiver down his spine, radiating into the nerves in his stomach. Those still felt like someone was holding a flame against them, but he willed himself to ignore the throbbing pain.

The bright green of his eyes dimmed, his eyelids becoming heavy and Hux felt like he was unable to keep his eyes open. 

Movement ceased. The steady rise and fall of his chest came to halt. His body completely relaxed, his normally tense demeanor melting away. 

Long live the Emperor. 

~~

Something was wrong, terribly wrong. Kylo felt it through the Force. He didn’t think about it too long, he was already en route back to his ship as quickly as he possible could. 

He felt like he had been running for hours, he was desperate to reach his destination. So desperate he didn’t pay attention to the pain that took over his chest. His breath felt labored, but he couldn’t stop now. 

The ship was in sight.

The knight quickened the pace, if that was even possible, and started yelling at his knights to prepare the ship.

Get a route back to Coruscant.

“Now.”

The ship had started its route, leaving the planets surface and soon was in hyperdrive.

Coruscant was in sight.

Resistance ships were everywhere. They flooded the skies, it looked as though the city was completely gone.

It was too black to see the lights that normally lit up the galaxy.

By some miracle, Kylo managed to get past the ships and over where he knew Hux was. He felt it, but the connection was weak. Dying.

No, it couldn’t be dying. How could that be possible?

Kylo hasn’t been paying any attention to the pain flaring across his chest and stomach, ignoring it as though it’s a simple scratch.

It was so much more than a simple scratch.

The TIE fighters and X wings seemed to be far too busy to notice Kylo’s ship. So, he took advantage of that. 

His pilot lowered to the ground, and once the ship had landed, Kylo was already departing. The exit door had just opened enough for him to squeeze through and leave. 

The Knights of Ren were’t given any instruction, so they assumed they would stay put unless the air battle reached them.

Kylo was getting annoyed. Why did Hux insist of having the highest rooms? It made getting to them far more difficult, which was a good strategy if the building had ever been raided. Currently, there was no signs of it being broken into, which was a good thing.

So why was his connection to Hux growing weaker by the second? It didn’t make any sense as to why it would be breaking when there was no soldiers around. 

Then it hit him. It hit him hard. The connection between them was dying because Hux was dying. The pain in his chest and abdomen were from an injury the Chancellor had sustained. 

How? How could this happen? Who had gotten to Hux? Those questions ran through his head as Kylo sprinted up the staircases leading to Armitage. 

The Supreme Leader always knew where Hux was, the other man was usually in his office this time of day. So, that’s where he was heading. He didn’t have to think about the route taken, he knew it like that back of his hand. 

Once Kylo had reached the correct floor, he made his way to Armitage’s office.

His pace had slowed, which meant he wasn’t so focused on reaching his destination as fast as he could. Because of this, the pain ransacked his body. It hurt so badly, Kylo wanted to scream because of it. He could hardly focus, his mind desperately trying to find the cause of the pain. Kylo was completely uninjured, he had no wounds or burns. It didn’t make sense to his nerves as to why his pain was happening.

Ren knew. It may make no sense to his nerves but he knew deep down what was wrong.

Fingers typed in the code to Hux’s office. The Chancellor has always wanted high amounts of security, including passcodes to rooms he frequently visited. If a passcode was entered wrong too many times or the pad key was broken, the room would stay locked until the person inside opened it.

Hux designed it himself, so it worked proficiently and never failed.

The correct passcode was put in (luckily, Hux had so many that Kylo sometimes forgot which code was for which room) and Kylo rushed inside.

It felt like his heart sank. His breathing hitched and his extremities locked. He couldn’t believe the sight before him.

Armitage was lying on the marble floor, his lightsaber off to the side. A hole was spotted, one that went straight through his stomach. Hux was unmoving, his chest was completely still.

The connection between them was gone. Dead.

And so was Hux.

Finally, Kylo overcame his shock and moved towards the limp body. So many thoughts were going through his mind, trying to make some sense of the situation.

Eventually, he just decided to go through the last few thoughts Hux had and piece together how he ended up the way he was. Kylo took Hux’s body into his arms, adjusting him so he laid on his back instead of in his front. A careful hand pressed against the cold skin of Hux’s forehead. It took a lot of self control to not run his fingers through the ginger hair, always so neat. Not a hair out of place. Overtime, he had developed grey streaks, but Hux made no effort to cover them or hide the grey with dyes. 

Kylo needed to get back to what he was doing.

A deep breath, his dark eyes closed. Kylo sifted through to find what he needed.

Kylo heard everything. Hux didn’t want to be a sitting duck, waiting for Resistance fighters to locate him and overtake him. The images of a prison cell, one that was dark and cold, appeared. Hux was inside, clothes ragged and loose. The fabric was covered in holes and was faded, so much so that its original colors didn’t appear as bright as they should. 

Hux was waiting. He was waiting to be executed. He knew he would be, that’s what happened to enemies. Whether or not it would be public or private was unknown.

That image and thought process upset Kylo, his chest ached with sadness. It took a lot to not weep then and there. He had to continue.

Suicide. Hux had committed suicide. He felt as though it was the only way to have control over what happened to him. Control how it all ended and how it ended. Hux was in control of his destiny, no one else got to choose for him. 

So, he ended it. He ended it with the lightsaber he was gifted all those years ago. The one he trained with for hours with. He was connected to that weapon, it held memories of victory. Memories of battles Hux participated in with Kylo. Armitage always loved a good fight.

It also held the memories of Hux’s frustration and failures during training. He had insisted on using his lightsaber during training, no wooden staff could fully prepare him for actual battle with the blade.

Kylo complied, he could never tell Hux no. Despite the amount of frustration Hux felt when he lost, he never quit.

He was very persistent.

Those memories they shared overcame Kylo’s emotions. The need to cry became too strong. Tears flowed easily, leaving trails on his skin. 

Kylo’s eyes wandered, admiring Hux once again. The white uniform was one Kylo loved, it was pure and never stained. He looked galant and graceful when he wore it. Normally, he wore his black uniform. That one was also beautiful on Hux, though Kylo thought everything was beautiful on the man, but it didn’t match the beauty of the white fabric. Even now, it was still perfect. 

He looked peaceful, his facial expression was neutral. It was screwed up in pain, but it did have dried tear streaks.

Had Hux cried because of pain, or because he knew that he was alone? To die alone was a fear many beings had. They always wanted the people they loved to be with them in the final moments. Hux didn’t have that.

An idea struck Kylo.

A selfish one.

Kylo could temporarily bring Hux back. He could give Hux the final moments he deserved. 

Kylo closed his eyes and leaned down, pressing his forehead against the ginger’s cheek. The Force flowed through him, humming in his veins. He had to focus all his strength, every ounce of Force into the current action. It would leave him weakened, but it was worth it.

Hux was still warm, so it would be easier to bring him back. Though, not much easier.

The room seemed to still with all the energy being drawn out of it and pushed into Hux. As long as Kylo kept the Force flowing in the other man’s body, Kylo could keep him alive for as long as he wanted. 

After a moment, Kylo felt a pulse. It was faint, barely there. It was still there. Hux was coming back.

Abruptly, the redhead shot up with a gasp and ragged breaths followed afterward. His face contorted in pain, eyes squeezing shut, tight enough to make his vision blur when he finally opened them.

“You bastard.”

The insult came out soft and didn’t carry its usual weight. Kylo didn’t seem to hear it, evident by the grin that flashed across his face.

It worked. It worked but only for a limited time.

“Why bring me back?” Armitage struggled with the words, pausing between them to catch his breath. 

“I didn’t want you to be alone..”

Hux scoffed, or tried to. It hurt him, so he mentally noted to not so that again. “Of course you acted on your own wants.”

The smile faded, Kylo’s usual expression of disappointment came back.

“I’m sorry.” Loose tears dropped again, hitting the white of Hux’s uniform. 

A quiet sigh escaped Armitage, a weak one. “I am not... mad. I am glad to see you before my inevitable death... my second inevitable death.” That drew a pained laugh out of Hux, weak and breathy. Kylo, unfortunately, didn’t seem amused. 

Armitage’s chest heaved in air, he had to work harder to do something that was supposed to come easy. It made him feel weak, always weak. 

Hux’s throat constricted, a sob broke lose from him. The dam in his eyes broke once again, a wave of tears went down his cheeks.   
“I’m a coward, Kylo. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I should have stayed alive for my troops but I’m a coward.”

A quiet hush came from the force user. 

“No, no. Armitage, don’t say that. You are not a coward by any means-“

“Don’t lie to me.” Hux tried to have some bite behind his statement, but his current state of sadness didn’t allow that. 

“I should have stayed alive for you.” It came out at barely above a whisper. Those words pained him to say, let alone think. “Ten years we ruled, ten years, and yet I let fear control me. Fear of all things-“

“Armitage,” Kylo cut him off, “stop talking.”

The knight couldn’t sound or seem mean or upset, just disappointed. He hated that Hux still thought so low of himself after all these years. After all they had built together, creating true peace in the galaxy. Something they had both longed for, wanted it for so long. 

And now it’s falling apart before their eyes.

Armitage gave up at maintaining his usual composure, he let sobs rock his body. Shock waves of pain shot through his nerves, his stomach constricting with each sob causing more and more pain. The pain was ignored, though, his heart hurt far more than his injury. 

Strong arms held him close, grounding him. Quiet words were said, but Hux wouldn’t make out what Kylo was saying. The words seemed to blur together and it sounded like a string from a different language. 

Hux broke Kylo’s string with his own words.

“Kylo,” Hux had calmed himself down enough for him to speak, “thank you.”

A puzzled expression flashed across Kylo’s features, “for what?”

“For the happiest time in my life.” Hux smiled slightly, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Kylo paused, frozen in place. He felt his emotions flood back, the overwhelming sadness flowing through him once more. His hold on Armitage strengthened, pulling the redhead to be flush chest to chest against Kylo. Hux buried his face into the knights shoulder, the fabric getting wet from his plethora of tears.

A mumble.

Hux moved his face to be heard better, “at my funeral, can you make sure they make me presentable? I can’t have my final appearance be me in a burnt uniform, stained from your tears.”

“I’m sorry...” Kylo paused for a moment, “I don’t believe I will be able to attend your funeral.”

“What?”

Kylo reached down to his belt, his hand grabbing and removing his lightsaber from its holster.

“We promised all those years ago that the only thing that could separate us is death. I won’t have death be in the way, we will be together for eternity.”

Hux didn’t say anything, at least not yet. The words Kylo spoke didn’t seem to register in his head completely. 

Kylo’s grip on the Force was breaking. He was acting irrational and his thoughts were focusing on anything but the Force.

“We’ll be together in the after life, forever. Do you hear me? Together, we’ll be together.” None of the words breached Hux’s mind. He was breaking down again, losing his grip.

A smile slowly went across Hux’s pale face, a genuine smile. It was a rarity to see the Chancellor smile.

“Kylo... I’ll see you on the other side, okay?” Every word felt like a chore, coming out slow and broken.

The ginger stilled, his head fell back since he could no longer hold it up, his normally tense body went limp once more. Kylo’s breath hitched as he moved to look at Armitage. He had failed to keep himself concentrated on the one thing he cared about.

Failure.

Hot tears fell out of his eyes, anger for himself rising and making his body hot all over. 

As gentle as he could, Kylo set the Chancellor’s body on the tile. 

The sight of fire caught his eye, the outside buildings set ablaze from the battle outside.

Kylo hoped his knights were okay, and would stay okay. 

With shaky hands, Kylo gripped his lightsaber. It had been with him for what felt like millennia, always there for him when he didn’t have anything else when he entered the First Order, a young apprentice to the long dead Snoke.

He hoped Snoke watched everything Kylo did since the day Snoke died, watched him take over the galaxy with his love.

A love that would never end.

Red light engulfed the room, along with a yell. The blade was thrust down and through Kylo’s abdomen. Pain shot through him. It was so much worse than the blaster bullet wounds he had sustained during battles and fights on far away planets. The only pain he could match it to is the time when that scavenger girl ripped his flesh apart, creating the ugly scar that still stained his body.

Kylo always thought it was disgusting and a show of failure, but Armitage thought different. Memories of gentle touches, fleeting kisses, soft words telling him that the scar did not deter his beauty in any way. 

A fleeting smile, the images of Hux that clouded his mind made this whole... experience better in some way.

The sound of the lightsaber shutting off rang in Kylo’s ears. He had done enough damage to himself, enough to make his head feel like static and his body strain to keep him going.

Carefully, Kylo lowered himself to the tile. His lightsaber was still gripped in his hand. He would live and die with this blade at his side.

Hux deserved that too. 

With the strength he could muster, Kylo’s free hand reached out to take hold of Hux’s lightsaber. It was placed in a pale hand, thin fingers were manipulated to be wrapped around the hilt. 

Hux was a warrior, and warriors died with their weapons. Warriors were buried with them, carried them into the after life as a symbol of their strength. Armitage was the strongest of them all, living through hell and coming out unbroken and unfazed. It was a trait that Kylo had always admired. It was the opposite of what he felt, instead of being calm in the storm, he let anger take over and guide his action.

Hux had always been the rational one in the relationship, and he would remain that way.

Kylo moved to lay beside his lover’s body. Carefully, he dragged his fingers across the white of the uniform. It hugged the other man’s body perfectly, leaning into every curve. The white uniform made him seem angelic.

Though, Kylo always thought the black one made Armitage more attractive. His hair was more striking, his green eyes were brighter against the dark clothing. 

The Chancellor was always so elegant and graceful, holding himself high in both standards and physical appearance. No image of Hux slouched existed, his back was always straight, lean shoulders wide. He stood strong in public appearances, always having an aura of confidence.

Kylo loved that about this man. 

But Kylo knew what happened to when the sky darkened, when Armitage was alone with his thoughts and old memories. Kylo had been there countless times, providing comfort when the weight of it all couldn’t be carried on fragile shoulders anymore. Insecurities, wandering thoughts of worth and self doubt were loud and unbearable.

Hux wouldn’t have to deal with those anymore. He was finally free from the terrible memories that filled his mind like a virus. 

Breathing started to get shallow, Kylo’s tight grip on the hilt let up and became more and more gentle as the time passed. 

The last tears flowed down his cheeks, his face screwed itself into an ugly expression. With the little air he had left, Kylo spoke.

“Thank you for the happiest time of my life.”

The horrid expression turned soft, one last smile before he gave in to the temptation of rest. 

Limp limbs, still body. Brown eyes closed, dark hair stuck against his cheeks because of the tear stains that hadn’t dried yet.

For a moment, Coruscant was finally quiet.


End file.
